Augusta is a place I have been to many times but just as a day trip from Margaret River. I have not spent quality time in Augusta until lately and I fell in love with the coastal town. It is a laid-back town full of natural beauty. The town overlooks the Hardy Inlet and Flinders Bay is a perfect spot for snorkelling and swimming.
Let me show you what we got up to during our stay.
Foreshore Walk
My day started by heading out the front door of the camper trailer and onto the foreshore walk. That is right a stunning view of the Hardy Inlet at my doorstep. I like to keep fit while I am travelling, especially with my Rottnest Channel Swim coming up. I ran or rode my bike along the foreshore paths and there was nothing but stunning views. I am not much of a runner but it is easy to keep running when there is an ever-changing landscape to look at.
The path points you in the direction of pelicans and at the right time of year, you can even spot whales.
Hardy Inlet
The Hardy Inlet is the estuary of the Blackwood River and it is a great place to enjoy water-based activities. Our children had a ball running and splashing in the water as it is shallow for quite some distance. Beautiful spot to put in the kayak and paddle around.
Fisherman were gutting their fish on fish filleting benches in the water which caused quite a stir. Pelicans, Eagle Rays and Sting Rays were all gathered around to get some of the offcuts. The Rays glided in around your feet and were not afraid to check you out. I, on the other hand, was a little bit wary of them!
Flinders Bay
The sheltered bay is stunning with fine white sand, turquoise water and perfect for swimming, snorkelling, kayaking and photography.
Standing on the timber jetty and looking out over the tranquil Flinders Bay we spotted a large stingray around 1 meter in diameter gliding underwater. Tourists were splashing in the water unaware that this magnificent creature was swimming underneath them. I got great joy yelling out to swimmers to look down just to see the surprise on their face as they realised they were so close to a giant stingray.
My daughter JJ who is 5 had a wonderful time jumping from the jetty. Snorkelling in the bay is amazing with stingrays and we saw our first cuttlefish. When beachcombing we often collect cuttlebone but we have not seen these unusual creatures in the wild.
Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse
Situated on the tip of the peninsula where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet is the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse. It is the tallest lighthouse on mainland Australia and made from local limestone in 1895.
Take a walk around the grounds of the Lighthouse and listen to an audio tour. Hear stories about the lighthouse keepers and their families, life was much tougher back then! Climb the stairs of the lighthouse for an amazing view and to see how the lighthouse works.
Hamelin Bay
Hamelin Bay is not just another stunning beach in Western Australia, it is home to many large stingrays. Down by the Jetty or the boat ramp you will see many large stingrays gliding close to the shore. Clearly, they are used to people as they come in close and swim past your legs.
We were in Hamelin Bay during the school holidays and the beach was packed with holidaymakers so we decided to try and get our own little slice of heaven.
We hit Bob’s Track which can only be accessed via 4wd. The track is located off Caves road just north of Bushby road and is marked with a Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park sign.
The track was a lot rougher than we anticipated and at one point we were dragging a large rock underneath the car. There are a few sections that are very rocky but once you are past these sections it is fairly easy going.
With clear turquoise water, white sand this would have to be one of my favourite beaches in Western Australia.
Foul Bay
Don’t let the name put you off as the place is anything but foul. I love it when you know nothing about a place and then you are amazed at what you find. We were heading out to Cosy Corner and stopped in to have a look at Foul Bay.
The beach is stunning and we had the whole place to ourselves. Well for half an hour at least!
Foul Bay is sheltered from the wind with the granite headland. It is a wide stretch of beach with white sand, crystal clear water and a nice constant wave crashing on the shore.
Quarry Bay
Quarry Bay is a U shape bay and limestone for the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse was quarried here. The bay is very rocky and there is a little natural waterfall to explore. The cape to cape track also goes straight past this point.
Where To Stay
Augusta offers a wide range of accommodation options. We stayed in our camper trailer at Turner Caravan Park which is located right on the Hardy Inlet. Flinders Bay Caravan Park is located close walking distance to the beach and Westbay Retreat is out of town but located on the river.
There are also holiday houses, B & B’s, motels and apartments to chose from. The options are endless and you can find a property here at Booking.com.
** Some of the links in this post are affiliated links. If you click to book the accommodation, I make a little commission but you don’t pay any extra. **
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Let Me Be Free 
Anne this whole area looks absolutely stunning. I have to say that after the Red Centre the WA coast is next on my Aussie travel list. It looks amazing.
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You will love it, I promise!
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Oh wow, such a lovely area. It looks so serene (and beautiful)! Oh and I love the lighthouse. I’ve never seen one up close or been in one before!
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It is worth going inside one if you ever get the chance.
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Glorious colours and magnificent vistas. I worry about stingrays…ever since one killed Steve Irwin. They look magnificent! That sounded like a great family adventure in WA. Thanks for linking up #lifethisweek 6/52. Next week: LOVE. Denyse
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I worry about the stingrays too and like all things in the wild you need to respect them and be cautious.
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Wow! This is fantastic! We recently moved to WA and haven’t been to a lot of places. Thanks for writing about this. I have been looking for real blog posts about WA travel. xx
Jacq
jacqwritesworld.com
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I hope you are enjoying WA so far, there is so much to see and do.
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Here today, loved Augusta and blown away by Hamelin Bay. An unforgettable experience.
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Enjoy! I wish I was still down that way.
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Your writing and photos urge me to travel to this part of our beautiful Australia. Love the photos showing the children and others enjoying nature.
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Nothing like getting your nature fix! I hope you make it over to WA one day as it really is a beautiful part of the world.
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Looks like an amazing place to visit, Ai bet the kids had a ball!
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The kids loved it but they would also be happy to hang out at the camper trailer all day!
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What a gorgeous place! I particularly like the look of Foreshore Walk – it looks like something out of a movie! No wonder why you love this place so much! Thank you for linking up! Hope you’ll join us again tomorrow 🙂
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It would be the perfect spot for a movie and I think I should play the leading lady!!
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We stumbled upon Augusta on our last trip to the West. We loved it so much we stayed another night. Isn’t the fossilised waterwheel really something.
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The waterwheel is pretty cool! I am glad you enjoyed Augusta too
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You’ve reminded me how lovely Augusta is Anne and also just how amazing the stingrays of Hamelin Bay are. We are so luck in WA to be blessed with such natural and as yet , mostly unpopulated, wonders 🙂 #teamlovinlife
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I love that in WA you can often have a beach to yourself and you are not fighting the crowds. We really are luck!
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Augusta and the surrounding area looks stunning Anne. Lovely photos 🙂 #TeamLovinLife
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Thank you, my camera is full of sand after that trip so I think it is time to get a new one!
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Augusta looks beautiful! Love all your photographs. I’ve never been to WA – hopefully one day and not too far away! 🙂 #TeamLovinLife
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I hope you make it over to WA is it a beautiful place.
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Augusta is a pretty spot with ocean and river location. We spent a few days here on our around Australia trip, but we never detoured to Hamelin Bay and now I’m kicking myself. Gorgeous photos Anne. 🙂 #TeamLovinLife
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That is a shame you missed Hameliin Bay. Oh well you will just have to come back!
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We loved Augusta when we stayed there in 2001 on our round Australia trip in our caravan with our 2 littlies. Would love to go back to the south west of WA – it’s absolutely magic.
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I would love to travel around oz with our kids. Hopefully one day.
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[…] the sting rays at Hamelin Bay as they glide close to the shore. One of the best spots to view these large magnificent creatures […]
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So picturesque and peaceful looking. Love the pelican!
#TeamLovinLife
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It sure is a peaceful place.
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We got fairly ordinary weather when we passed through Augusta last year. It definitely wasn’t swimming weather but the lighthouse was dramatic against the stormy skies.
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That is the thing with the south west you never know what the weather is going to be like!
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It’s soo beautiful! It reminds of my home, San Diego! #FarawayFiles
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San Diego is a beautiful spot
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The area looks like a great holiday spot. I like all the rays including the one being fed by hand. I would imagine the people that were swimming above where the rays were gliding were a bit nervous.
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I was always looking around while I was swimming just to make sure there was not a ray under me!
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The water is so blue, I love it! What a pretty coastal town. Love reading up on quaint towns like this! #wkendtravelinspiration
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I love little quaint towns too. I would give anything to move to the country.
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This has everything I love! Fantastic beaches, wildlife (love the stingrays come right to the water’s edge), beautiful scenery, lighthouse. I want to return to Australia one day and Hamelin Bay and Foul Bay look perfect. #Wkendtravelinspiration
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I hope you get to visit this area!
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Looks like a great place to visit! The sting rays would be amazing to see – I have never seen them outside of an aquarium. Not sure how keen I would be if they got too close though! Hopefully we will get a chance to explore Western Australia at some point! #weekendtravelinspiration
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I was surprised at how tame they were, they just swam straight up to you,
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What a gorgeous seaside escape! Thanks for the inspiration; see you next week! #wkendtravelinspiration
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We only went to WA for the first time about 5 years ago. I was AMAZED at how stunning everywhere we went was (we spent a month touring round). I have no idea why it gets so little focus.
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With Perth being the most isolated city in the world it makes it an expensive place to visit. You are right it is stunning and people often just travel the east coast which is a shame.
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Well this is just delightful! I can’t wait to explore WA someday.
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